Rugged Heart
by Smiley612
Summary: [AU] In the kingdom, Prince Fabian is engaged to Mara, a woman he doesn't love. He then meets Nina, a peasant, and has to hide his feelings for her from everyone he knows. Princess Amber should marry the charming Prince Jerome, but her heart belongs to the castle's court jester, Alfie.
1. Prologue

**I am trying this one more time. If it doesn't go up and stay up, then I'm taking this down and leaving it down for a while. I have no clue why it keeps deleting the story.**

**The speed at which the next chapter will come up depends on how much you guys like it, so please review!**

**You don't know just how happy I am. It's 2015, the story that I've planned for months is finally going up, and I'm not sad for once. I'm really really happy, and I hope I can stay this way.**

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><p>The kingdom was divided into two factions: the poor and the wealthy.<p>

The poor who resided in the rural areas outside of the palace were not given much attention by the royals; that is the way it had always been. When those who lived in poverty struggled to maintain shelter and health, begging the ones above them for aid, the wealthy disregarded their pleas.

The king and queen birthed a beautiful baby girl. They named her Katherine, hoping for a pure and clear daughter; she grew to be exactly that.

Princess Kate grew older, and as she did, she noticed the inequalities between the ones who lived inside the castle and the ones who outside of it. When the filthy stick-thin peasants who labored in the fields implored the guards to give them food, they payed no attention and escorted them away, ignoring the sobs and cries of the underfed serfs.

The fifteen-year-old princess knew she had to speak up for the ones who endured much and received little. It was her duty as princess to help those in need.

However, when she tried to tell her parents about the injustice, they ignored their daughter as they did the peasants and focused about her upcoming cotillion. Kate's sixteenth birthday was approaching, which meant she would soon have to find a worthy suitor to be her prince.

Kate was forced to pay no heed to the begging civilians, and instead to which color dress she preferred or how she would like her hair to look. As weeks passed, she soon forgot about the mistreated peasants. Her mind was focused on her cotillion.

On the day of, she met hundreds of worthy men. It was strange to think that in the future, one of the men she met might be her prince.

The princess took an immediate interest in a prince from another kingdom, Prince Louis. After spending weeks together inside the palace, Kate told her parents that she wished to marry Louis, and everyone was overjoyed. The maids cheered. The guards congratulated the engaged. For once, the atmosphere was pleasant.

However, those outside the palace walls heard the news of Kate's engagement, and they were anything but joyful. Their one hope to achieve equal treatment was to be married to a charming prince who'd forever take her mind off what previously occupied her every thought.

They were to be condemned, eternally looked down on with apathy.

The peasants cursed the palace, and scowled at the thought of the royals. The peasant's hatred for royalty had become insufferable, consuming their being.

Kate's parents died when she was 30. Louis and she had been married for 13 years. After Louis and Kate donned the crowns of her parents, crowning them king and queen, the royals in the palace begged them to have children.

One year later, their son, Fabian, was born.

Two years after that, Amber became Fabian's little sister.

The wealthy danced and sang after the births. Parties were held, wine was drunk, decor was placed. The ones who resided inside the castle celebrated the royal family and their two children, spoiling them, protecting them. Fabian and Amber had pleasant memories of their childhood.

The two siblings never agreed on the same thing, but they rarely argued. Fabian respected Amber, as she did he.

Fabian and Amber grew, as did the serf's hatred of the royal family. They never dared to attack the castle, but they would speak of the injustice in private, glaring whenever an upperclassman walked by the fields.

In a small crumbed cottage a few miles away from the gated palace, a mother, Natalie, gave birth to her son, Eddie. He was two years older than Prince Fabian. Conditions were rough for the parents, so their daughter, Nina, wasn't born until four years had passed. Nina was the same age as Princess Amber.

Elizabeth and her husband, Eric, loved their children very much. Although they had very little money, Natalie and Eric devoted themselves to giving Eddie and Nina a better life then they had.

When Eddie was 16, his parents died.

Nina was just 12. On their own, with no guidance, the two siblings had to find a home. After week of laboring, exhausting work, a family friend gave them a loving home. The Mercer family wasn't much wealthier than their parents, but Eddie and Nina were safe once more.

Years passed. When Eddie was 18, Prince Fabian was 16. At this age, Queen Kate and King Louis thought it was time that their son find a wife before they themselves passed away. Fabian didn't have many friends, whether it was inside or outside the castle. He didn't know how it would be possible for him to find a wife, since he didn't have friends, and males didn't have cotillions. He didn't believe he'd ever marry, until a nearby kingdom came to visit.

This nearby kingdom's princess was named Mara, and she was perfect.

Her dark hair and eyes were perfect. The way she dressed was perfect. Her tone, her manners, her beauty, and family were perfect.

To King Louis, there was no competition. There dare not be a cotillion held, for King Louis found his princess. He asked Mara's family if they would be willing to let their daughter wed his son, and they were ecstatic. Even Fabian was happy about the arrangement...for a while, at least.

He proposed one year later, and Mara accepted gratefully. They were to be married before Fabian was 19.

Eddie, now 19, had found a woman he truly loved. Her name was Patricia, and although they both were very young, they were married already. Eddie lived with his sister and his wife, not quite financially stable, but happy enough. Eddie had a personal grudge against the people inside the palace, for his grandparents were some of the beggers that Queen Kate's parents dismissed.

When Eddie was 20, Fabian turned 18. At this age, he realized that he didn't actually love Mara. In a year, he was to be married to a woman he didn't love. He would have children with a woman he didn't love. After Queen Kate and King Louis died, he would rule a kingdom with a woman he didn't love.

He stayed silent; Fabian knew he couldn't call off the wedding. He suffered in silence, kissing Mara, touching Mara, seeing Mara.

Eddie had gotten Patricia pregnant at this time, and Nina, 16 years old, was happy for them. Although she had to do most of the housework and fieldwork by herself, she soon would have a niece, and it was worth the extra labor.

Princess Amber was also 16. It was time for her to find a suitor; her cotillion would be held in only a few days.

The two men she met set off a chain of events that would affect the kingdom forever.


	2. Chapter I

**Welcome back! I hope all of you are having a nice weekend so far.**

**Update days will be on Saturdays. As of today, I'm planning this story will have around 25 chapters, but that all may change as time goes on. Hopefully, I can finish the next chapter by January 24, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not the best updater.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and please tell me what you thought!**

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><p>There was a knock on her door.<p>

Before she opened it, Princess Amber thought the person behind the door might have been her mother. Amber turned 16 two weeks before today, and every day since then had been a bustle of people coming to and fro, congratulating her, wishing her luck. Today was the day of her cotillion, a ball which announced a young lady eligible to marry.

Since her mother, Queen Kate, had found her father, King Louis, at her own cotillion, Kate was quite excited to see her daughter attend one of her own.

Princess Amber had thought about what it would be like if she found _her_ husband at her cotillion, but she had trouble imagining that. Of course, Amber was excited to attend the ball itself, for she had always adored dances and beautiful gowns.

She couldn't deny that she was nervous, though. Thinking that her mother might be behind the door frightened her; was it time for the cotillion already? She wasn't ready to be presented in front of thousands of people looking like she did. If her husband was waiting for her somewhere in the castle, Amber wanted to look her best.

When the door flung open, Amber was greeted with her older brother.

Right away, she smiled. Fabian returned the smile, encasing Amber in his hug.

"Hello, Fabian," Amber said happily. Fabian, two years her senior, had always protected her from dangers in the castle. He wasn't the best guard, truthfully, but Amber appreciated the effort he put in. She was grateful to have him as her brother.

"Hello, Amber." Fabian released his sister from his arms. "Are you quite ready to go to your cotillion? Mother is waiting for us in the hallway."

"I'm ready," Amber confirmed, "but I'm a bit nervous."

Fabian looked her from head to toe. "No need to be nervous," he flashed a reassuring smile. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." She never truly appreciated other people complimenting her, for she had always been insecure about the way she looked, the way she dressed, the way she was. Even if it was her family, she flushed in embarrassment.

"When will I have to go to my cotillion again?" Amber asked, trying to calm her fears.

"Soon, I suppose." Fabian turned to look behind him. "Everyone is already in the ballroom."

"Are they any men?"

"Oh, there are _hundreds_ of men."

"Hundreds?" Fear coursed through her veins. All her life, her mother had drilled _You need to find a husband soon_ into her head. Amber couldn't possibly think of any men to marry, since she rarely left the castle, and she'd met all the men her age that lived inside of it. There need not be any reason why Amber should leave the castle to find a husband, either, for her father would punish her forever if she married a peasant boy.

Today was the chance to finally find her husband, impress her mother, and appease her father.

Amber couldn't have been more anxious.

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><p><strong>\<strong>

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><p>Standing in front of the door was the easy part.<p>

Her father paused when he saw Amber standing. "What's wrong, dear?"

"I'm really nervous," Amber admitted, staring at the floor in shame. She'd been given two weeks to prepare for her cotillion; in fact, she'd even attended practice cotillions, where her family and other royals would help Amber practice how to walk in, who to talk to, and how to act throughout the day.

If she'd thought she was ready yesterday, she was as wrong as the sky is blue.

Her father's hard expression softened. He embraced his daughter in his arms, rubbing her back. "Saying there's nothing to worry about is not true, so I will not tell you that. However, I want you to know that you are beautiful, kind, and intelligent."

Amber smiled, trying to act like she wasn't embarrassed. "Thank you, but you know Mother wants me to find my husband today."

King Louis laughed silently. He swiftly tucked Princess Amber's blonde hair behind her ears. "Pumpkin, I love your mother more than anyone in the world, but she only wants you to find your husband at the cotillion because she found _me_ at hers. Make sure you know that if you don't find a worthy suitor tonight, your mother and I will not be disappointed in you. We are simply celebrating your birthday today. I want you to have fun."

Amber threw her arms around Louis's neck. He held his daughter close to him.

"Amber, your mother, brother, and I will be by your side this entire night. If you ever want to talk to us, I promise we will. I'm sure Fabian would be ecstatic to get away from the party to talk to you. You know how he is."

"Yes, I do," Amber breathed, reminding herself that the cotillion would only last a few hours. She would get to dance in her beautiful ball gown, meet lovely men, eat delicious food, and celebrate her birthday. She reminded herself that she'd been dreaming of this day for years, and now she was finally able to live it.

Louis squeezed Amber's hand, and requested for the guards to open the door to the ballroom.

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><p><strong>\<strong>

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><p>Fabian was right: there were <em>hundreds<em> of men in the ballroom.

Tall men and short men; loud men and quiet men; and men with dark hair and men with light hair. There was so many men in the ballroom that even the women blended into men, making Amber's head spin. How many of these men would come up to her today and attempt to marry her?

Her entrance had not been unnoticed. The music had quieted, and all heads turned to her. Over five hundred eyes followed her and her father as they walked through the ballroom, bowing as they passed. This was required, as Amber and Louis were part of the royal family, but it still made her quite uncomfortable.

King Louis and Princess Amber walked in the path the castle's residents had hallowed for them.

When the stage was within view, Amber almost sighed in relief. There upon the stage sat four regal chairs, two for the King and Queen, the other two being for the Prince and Princess. Her mother, Queen Kate, sat with a genuine smile on her face, keeping her blue eyes steady on her daughter. Fabian sat in his chair as well, taking steady breaths. It was evident that he was nervous too.

When Amber gracefully sat in her chair, careful not to disturb her ball gown, Queen Kate sent Amber a reassuring smile. Lightly placing her aging hand on top of her daughter's youthful one, Amber felt at peace. She had her family at her side throughout it all.

A booming masculine voice startled Amber. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present our Princess, Amber! Her Highness is now of age."

The applause was louder than the man's voice. Amber looked to the stage floor to avoid the people's stare.

Over two hundred and fifty people gathered in the ballroom tonight to see Amber's transition into a lady. She was celebrating her birthday and her eligibility to marry. Today was not to be feared, but instead to be feted. She'd soon find a husband, wed him, have beautiful children, and take over the kingdom once Fabian and his now-fiancee Mara passed away as King and Queen.

Amber inhaled, calming her nerves. There was nothing to be feared.

The man continued to ramble. He spoke about the ball that was to be celebrated today; how everyone should give Princess Amber their best wishes, to which Amber had to pay attention to the stage floor once again; and to please congratulate Fabian and his future wife if you haven't already.

Amber had just turned 16, but her brother had turned 18 earlier in the year. He had been engaged to a woman named Mara for about a year now, but a few months ago, Fabian told Amber that he didn't love her anymore. He felt trapped, and Amber couldn't do a thing to help him.

After the man concluded his speech, Kate whispered in Amber's ear for her to rise.

When Kate, Louis, Fabian, and Amber stood, the company bowed. Louis took Amber's arm and lead her down the stage, while Fabian helped Kate step down.

After the royal family left the stage, the cotillion began. Couples danced, men drank, women talked. It seemed that all of the younger men, one that were around Amber's age, made a beeline to speak with the Princess. Today was their one and only chance to woo the Princess and become a Prince.

When they were young, Fabian and Amber liked to explore the castle and its secrets; their parents told them that the palace was full of hidden rooms and secret passageways. In their early teenage years, they found an abandoned room behind the guards' station, which they made their meeting point. As the siblings grew older, they were given more responsibility and more tasks. When their father was intent to find Fabian a suitress, he was almost never around. When he was, though, Fabian and Amber met in their hiding place to escape from the bustle of the castle and spent hours upon hours simply talking to one another.

The ballroom wasn't even remotely near their meeting point, so Fabian and Amber couldn't escape from the cotillion to talk. Instead, they found their way to a corner, behind older couples, hidden from steadfast suitors.

"What's the matter, Amber?" Fabian asked, concern written in every pore.

"I can't do this," she whispered, careful not to let anyone know that the Prince and Princess were hiding. "There are so many men here, I don't know what to do!"

Fabian's concern faded. He brought his hand up to place it on Amber's shoulder, comforting his sister. "I know it may seem overwhelming, but take a deep breath. Mother pushed through her cotillion and found our father. It turned out perfectly for her."

"That's the problem!" Amber raised her voice an octave. "What if I don't find my husband tonight? Mother will be so disappointed."

"It doesn't matter if you find a husband! Today is _your_ night, not hers."

Amber closed her eyes. While they were shut tight, she could hear mindless chatter throughout the ballroom. One. She wiggled her toes, no matter how tightly they were smushed in the outsole of her heels. Two. She took a deep breath, calming her nerves. Three.

"Today is my night," Amber smiled. "You're right, Fabian."

Fabian returned the grin. "Aren't I always?"

"Excuse me?"

Fabian and Amber turned to the origin of the voice, less than a meter away. Much to Amber's distaste, the person who had spoke was a very tall, very handsome young man, with electric blue eyes. Even from where she stood, she could feel the brightness of the boy's eyes, as if they could see through her skin.

"How may I help you?" Fabian inquired, giving the man a skeptic look.

The man swallowed. "I am Jerome Clarke, Prince of Willavarah, one of your neighboring kingdoms. I have come tonight to speak to the beautiful Princess."

"Jerome," Amber whispered, taken with the man presented in front of her. Her distaste had turned to dust in front of this boy. Although her father told her a few weeks before that she should not simply obsess over a man with charming features, she was interested in Jerome from the moment he spoke his name. He was a Prince, his name was wonderful, he called her beautiful, and his garish blue eyes stole her breath away. Amber cleared her throat. "Well, Prince Jerome, what have you come to say to me?"

Jerome beamed. "Many things," his voice was melodic. "I have countless things to say to you, my lady."

Amber's heard pounded in her ears. Jerome was the most handsome and charming man she'd ever met.

"You have countless things to say?" Amber kept her eyes on Jerome's lurid ones. He nodded. "I'd be ever so willing to listen."

"Wonderful." Jerome's smile remained glued to his face as he turned to Amber's left, where her brother stood before her. "However, I would be grateful if this young man here could leave the two of us alone for a moment. Would that be acceptable, brother?"

Fabian didn't hesitate to speak. "I am the prince of this kingdom, and _your lady_ is my sister."

"Oh, I am truly sorry," Jerome apologized, hand on his heart. "I did not know. If you wish, my lady—" He turned back to Amber. "—I could come back later. It seems that you and your brother are occupied at the moment."

"We are, but I could make an exception—"

Amber caught her brother's furious glare. Although Fabian could be less than vicious most of the time, he could be frightening when he was angry. Amber cleared her throat and stole one last glance at her suitor. "I apologize, good sir, but my brother here requests my presence. Would I be able to see you later, perhaps?"

Jerome smiled brightly. "Yes," he breathed, as if he was relieved. "I'll see you then?"

"You most certainly will."

He swiftly took Amber's hand, bowed his head down, and with his lips puckered, he kissed her hand and walked away without glancing back.

Amber was on cloud nine.

Fabian spoke her name to bring her back from her euphoric stupor, but she still couldn't stop thinking about Jerome. "Amber, come now. I'm sure we've been hiding long enough. I think it's time for the cotillion to see you alone."

Bothered immensely, Amber pouted as she followed her older brother to the front of the ballroom.

When Amber was in plain sight, people applauded. They came to congratulate her, to tell her womanhood would be the best times of her life, to introduce her to their sons. Her mother had told her yesterday to be polite, smile, and welcome the young men who had been introduced to her no matter how much she did not want to. When Amber said she thought it was supposed to be _her_ cotillion, not the guests', her mother sighed, and left the room.

Within the next two hours, Amber danced with hundreds of men.

She met a Robbie, who kept stumbling over his words and didn't seem interested in the least.

She met a Jason, who was handsome and charming, but he was much older than her and kept diverting his eyes past her shoulder.

After dancing with enough people to lose track of their names, one of the palace's guards, Mick, approached her and asked if she was alright. Although he was a guard, Amber had always respected Mick for who and what he was.

"Officer Campbell," Amber addressed Mick by his last name, which was considered to be polite, "is there any possible way you can let me escape this ballroom?"

Mick laughed quietly. "I'll see what I can do." He turned towards the entrance, where a gaggle of guards stood by the door. Since all of the royal family was in the ballroom, it was required that there be an immense amount of guards to protect their safety. The guards of the palace were evidently doing their job well, as not a single scoundrel had touched a hair on her head.

Amber joined Mick to view the entrance, but instead of a peaceful barrier, about four or five guards were tangled, apparently trying to stop a person from coming in the ballroom.

"There seems to be a disturbance," Mick told Amber, his voice brute. "Stay here, Your Highness. I will go and settle this."

Amber could have easily dismissed Mick and continued dancing with men she'd never wed, but she was interested to see just who thought they were worthy enough to attend the Princess's cotillion. Tugging her yellow ball gown above the ground, she ran to catch up with the guard tearing through the crowd.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Mick growled at the five men that continued to push a man farther from the entrance.

"Sir, the court jester attempted to enter the ball," another guard told Mick.

"The court jester?!" Amber asked incredulously. At her voice, Mick turned and frowned at Amber, annoyed that she had followed him, but Amber was overcome with shock and disgust at the words Mick's fellow guard had spoken.

"Guards!" Amber yelled, sending all of the guards, including the five that had been pushing the court jester away from the ballroom, standing straight. "Thank you. If you wouldn't mind, I would like a word with this court jester."

"But Your Highness—"

"Enough!" She silenced the guard that had protested. She repeated herself, "I would like a word with this court jester, if you _please_."

Forced to obey to the royal family's orders, the five guards that were blocking the court jester dispersed. Behind them stood a young man, about Amber's age, with dark skin, eyes, and hair. He was wearing traditional court jester attire, with a shocked expression, much like Amber's. However, he feared for mercy, while Amber had feared for embarrassment.

Amber breathed out. Here in front of her stood someone as low as a peasant. Here in front of her stood a man who entertained her parents in their free time.

She pursed her lips. "I am...I am, frankly, insulted that you thought a lowly jester like you would be invited to, of all people's, the _Princess's_ cotillion."

The court jester took a shaky breath. His hands were trembling. Amber continued to speak anyway. "I am insulted that you thought you would be invited to attend. You are a jester. You are a joke to the palace, and you will be nothing but for the rest of your life. You will never be invited into my life, Court Jester. You are—"

"My name is Alfie!" The court jester desperately screamed.

Amber blinked. "You, Court Jester," she blatantly refused to use Alfie's name out of spite, "have just interrupted me. Not only have you insulted and embarrassed me in front of my family and friends, you have just interrupted the Princess."

Alfie did not speak.

"Officer Campbell," Amber called Mick, after hearing no apology escape from Alfie's lips. "I would like the court jester taken to the dungeons immediately. This joke of a man deserves nothing less."

"Yes, Your Highness," Mick obeyed without question, him and three other guards taking Alfie by the arms, forcing him to walk with them, where he would be locked up in a cell. Amber, at the moment, felt no remorse. A lowly jester had interrupted a Princess, so he deserved the punishment she gave to him. After all, he made the mistake of presuming he'd be allowed to attend her cotillion.

All the yelling and screaming had not paused the party. Immediately, a man with brown hair ran up to her, but Amber ignored him. She'd seen enough strange men tonight to last her the rest of her life. Right now, she was determined to find and speak to her brother.

She eventually found Fabian by a table. When he caught sight of her, he smiled. "Hello, Amber," he greeted his sister, but she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tight.

"What is this for?" Fabian wondered, annoyance exempt from his tone.

"Nothing," Amber breathed, holding on to the hug as long as she could. "Nothing at all."

Fabian didn't see the need to break the hug either, so the siblings remained embraced. Her brother was the smartest, bravest, most kind man she knew. Amber admired her brother more than she'd ever admit to his face. He was her role model, even though he was only two years older. He was who she wanted to impress, not any of the men she met today. Amber wanted to impress Fabian with her intelligence and kindness, not her beauty. She wanted him to be proud of her.

Out of nowhere, Fabian was pulled from Amber's arms. Shocked and confused, Amber glanced ahead to find Mara dragging Fabian into the middle of a large bevy of people. Mara didn't even allow Fabian to say goodbye to his sister.

Amber sighed. Mara and Fabian had gotten engaged last year, and although Fabian didn't love her, Mara presumed he did. She also didn't realize just how poorly she treated her fiance, as exemplified by simply pulling him away from Amber without asking her if she could borrow him.

All Amber wanted was for her brother to be happy, but Mara was making him anything but.

She looked for her parents, but she couldn't see them. She'd danced with almost every young man in the room. Where was she supposed to go?

After feeling a light tap on her shoulder, Amber spun to see a familiar face. Her frown turned into a beaming smile. "Jerome!" Amber giggled. "I'm so glad to see you! Where have you been? I've been waiting for you!"

Jerome shushed her playfully. He twisted strands of her blonde hair around his pale fingertips, smiling all the same.

No words from him were needed. Jerome reached down and swooped Amber's hand into his, leading her onto the dance floor.


End file.
